NFL news: Vikings’ Rondale Moore suffers brutal knee injury

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore suffered a devastating injury on the first play of his preseason appearance after he missed the entire 2024 season with a knee injury.

Moore appeared in the Vikings’ 20-10 win over the Houston Texans. He checked into the game as a punt returner and when he received the ball he was tackled by Texans linebacker Jamal Hill as he ran out of bounds.

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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore leaves the field after an injury during the Houston Texans game, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

The athletic cart came out for Moore and he was taken to the locker room. He placed a towel over his head as emotions ran high.

“It’s one of the most painful things for me as a head coach when I feel that emotion,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said, via ESPN. “I make a life out of trying to leave others better than I found them. In that situation, there is nothing I can do, which is the worst feeling as a coach. So you just consult with him and make sure that he knows he’s not going to be alone.”

O’Connell described the knee injury as “pretty significant.”

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore covers his head after suffering a lower leg injury at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Aug. 9, 2025. (Jeffrey Becker/Imagn Images)

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Moore only played in eight games in 2022 when he was with the Arizona Cardinals as he battled a hamstring issue. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 and suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp.

He joined the Vikings this past March, but he may be out for the season once again.

The Vikings are loaded with wide receivers trying to make the team and become the No. 2 behind Justin Jefferson before Jordan Addison sits out due to a suspension to start the year.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell speaks during a press conference after the preseason game against the Houston Texans, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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Fifteen different players were targeted in the preseason game as Sam Howell, Max Brosmer, J.J. McCarthy and Brett Rypien got reps at quarterback.

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